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Living the Mission GRACIE BUJOLL '19 FINDS THE STORIES THAT MATTER
For Gracie Bujoll ’19 , living the mission begins with seeing people fully. From volunteering as a student at Gilmour to her current role as Communications and Marketing Associate for The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, Bujoll has built a career rooted in storytelling, advocacy and perspective — ensuring that individuals and neighborhoods are not overlooked. When reflecting on her time at Gilmour, she points first to her summers volunteering at Saint Adalbert with Mrs. Pryatel. Arriving on campus at 7 a.m., boarding a bus and serving in a community unfamiliar to her, she began to understand the power of presence. “It taught me perspective,” she says. “It helped me see how much simply showing up in someone’s life can matter.” That perspective deepened under the mentorship of longtime English teacher Mr. Overman. In his classroom, Bujoll discovered journalism and launched Humans of Gilmour, inspired by “Humans of New York.” Through interviews and photographs, she highlighted the stories of boarding students, day students, athletes and international classmates. “At Gilmour, you pass people every day,” she says. “But everyone has a story.” The project reinforced what she was beginning to understand: “seeing the whole person requires curiosity and intentional listening.”
At Xavier University, Bujoll continued blending creativity with service. As vice president of the Sustainable Fashion Club, she helped shape the organization around accessibility, hosting clothing drives and upcycling events and partnering with Dress for Success to provide professional attire for women entering the workforce. “Confidence matters,” she says. “Sometimes something as simple as clothing can help someone walk into an opportunity feeling prepared.” Today, Bujoll serves as the “in-house journalist” at The Port. She tells the stories of first-time homebuyers, small business owners and nonprofit partners, translating complex economic development initiatives into human impact. “These people and neighborhoods don’t exist to those who are unaware,” she explains. “If no one tells their stories, they remain invisible.” One recent project reflects both the competence to see and the courage to act. While searching for a creative staff Christmas gift, Bujoll and her team noticed that on Bengals gamedays, nearly everyone in Cincinnati wore “Cincy” hats. Curious about the story behind them, they discovered that 100 percent of proceeds support The Cincy Hat Foundation, a nonprofit founded by a Cincinnati Bengal, dedicated to housing adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. After purchasing hats for her colleagues, she led a partnership that ultimately resulted in the nonprofit’s purchase of Port-owned land in Madisonville. After a year of coordination, approvals and communications strategy, the organization is now breaking ground on a multi-unit building for adults with IDD. “It took a year of persistence,” she says. “When something aligns with your values, you advocate for it.”
Her passion for disability advocacy traces back to Gilmour, where she and her brother, Jack ’17 , both served as Special Olympics coaches and she participated in a mission trip to Honduras — experiences that shaped her understanding of privilege, resilience and human dignity. When asked what living the Gilmour mission looks like today, Bujoll points to listening. “I have one mouth and two ears,” she says. “If you don’t listen, you can’t tell someone’s story with integrity.” Her advice to current students is simple: “Find your strength and nurture it. The world doesn’t need you to be everything. It needs you to be fully who you are.” Through storytelling and action, Gracie Bujoll continues to live the mission — ensuring that every person, every neighborhood and every story has the chance to be seen.
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